Memoirs of My Journey to Make-Up Perfection

Hello everyone. Memoirs of My Make up Journey is now on Wordpress.com and is now called Make-up, Hair and Lashes Oh My! Please join me there where I continue to share great tips, reviews and fashion tips!
I will aslo be transferring some of the content from here to there.

Can't wait to see you guys! Take care :)

Hola Dolls!!

Como estais?? I wanted to share with you a HOT find I came across on the internet which by the way will be my next new purchase!

Hi everyone!

I'm coming at you with a review on Rimmel's new face primer called Fix and Perfect.

I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

Price: $6.00 + HST (Ontario Tax)

Pros: It smooths and prep's my face very nicely. It mattifiies my face and reduces the sight of pores and blemishes. It gives me a nice velvety finish all day. The price is great at $6.00 which mean's it's very affordable

Cons: I have oily skin and I found at times that it really struggled to mattify my skin.

But I would buy it again for the price and for the fact that it gave my face a nice velvety finish throughout the day. For that I really can't complain at all. I use the MAC finishing powder to help mattify my face and of course blotting papers. But I will continue to be on the look out for the perfect primer!

My next review will be on Hard Candy's 1000 Lashes :)

Talk to all later

Hello Dolls!

I'm back with another product review.

I want to talk about MSM and how its many benefits to a  woman's body!
Firstly, what is MSM?

MSM is beneficial Sulpher based compound found in every living organisim. In it's purest form it is white in appearance and not yellow like everyone might imagine sulpher to be. It can be found on ocean floors, rain water,and all living things. It has the same toxicity as water. It can be safely ingested into the body as long as you follow the directions on the bottle.

MSM is beneficial as a detox agent, it benefits your skin, nails, hair, and can also be used for pain management or chronic illness though I highly recommend you consult a doctor if you are going to use it for pain management or chronic illness.

When I first started MSM I experienced a common side effect, slight headaches. But that was because I had to build up to it. I take 1000mg in 2  pills per day. But in the beginning I had to take 1000 mg and slowly build up to it.

MSM Benefits

- Reduces wrinkles
- Promotes healthy hair, skin and nails
- Has excellent anti-aging properties in women (ladies, buy it!)
- Supports healthy immune system function
- Assist the liver in producing Cholin which enhances many bodily functions including insulin production, metabolism of carbohydrates as well as other functions
- Relieves pain and inflammation and detoxifies
- Among many other benefits

MSM is available in pill form, lotion and powder. Many people have reaped a lot of benefits from the dissolving the powder in water and taking it that way. I might do that soon but right now I am on the pill format. In terms of the lotion there is one youtuber (I can't remember her name) who has achieved a lot of success with using the lotion to alleviate her eczema. This is her personal experience but given MSM's wound healing and skin restoring properties it doesn't surprise me.

My Review

When I used MSM 2 years ago it brightened my skin and gave me a nice glow. It also helped eliminate my dark spots and increased cell turnover. My hair grew, my nails grew and I no longer had chronic pain (I had hurt my knew previously). I felt great and I looked good; my hair and skin were strong and glowing.

Have you tried MSM? What were your results? Let me know lovelies!!

Talk to you soon. My next review will be on Rimmel London's Fix & Perfect Pro Primer. :)

Sorry for being away for so long. Between a badly sprained ankle, to family staying over, to having to take my wisdom teeth out it has been a harrowing experience and I apologize for being away. Literally I was on the disabled list for a good 7 weeks with my ankle, than the family (well 1 family member in particular the rest were fine to say as long as they wanted), than taking my wisdom teeth out it has been a lot to take care of.

In any case I am back with a great beauty tip I came across today as I sit at home nursing my swollen jaw.

How to remove Dark Circles and Spots Naturally

Not only are poratoes great for making vodka, fries and the occasional potatoe salad but it turns out they are also great for removing dark circles and spots from your face! The magic ingredient and secret agent in all those expensive over the counter fading creams is catecholase.
Just blend one potatoe into a puree and apply it under your eye, being careful not to get it in the eye or apply it all over your face. Leave it on for 15 minutes then wash it off as you would normally wash your face. Do this 3 times a week and voila! Your dark circles and marks will begin to fade away!

Please don't try this if you are allergic to potatoes.

Let me know how this works out for you :)

Hello Dolls!

Hello Dolls.

I want to discuss the Nail Shellac system that seems to be the new trend these days. What makes this process unique and different from a regular polish change is that the shellac promises not to fade or chip till the wearer takes it off. It got me thinking about the validity of these claims, what shellac-ing really is and is it right for me.

I currently have gel nails which is perfect for me and my needs because I can wear my own nails while still maintaining a polished appearance. The problem arises because the polish tends to fade and chip at the tips due to frequent typing and my nails grow out quickly because I have the gel on which increases my maintenance costs to maintain the look. Lately, I have been thinking about and have come to the conclusion that I am going to take the gel off my nails and wear regular polish till I ran into the Nail Shellac System and began pondering trying this out to see if its a good fit.

What is Nail Shellac-ing
according to www.shellacnailpolish.net

Shellac is a kind of resin which is produced by a female bug known as the lac bug. This bug secretes the resin on trees which are mostly found in India and Thailand. The shellac is finally processed and then sold in the form of flakes. These flakes can be dissolved in denatured alcohol which is the finally used for wood finish, colorant or for glazing on food items. The setback about shellac nail polish is the limited number of colors to choose from. The process of applying the polish comprises of three steps which basically describes the kind of coats namely base coat, color coat and the top coat.

During the whole process, one is supposed to keep the nails under UV lights after application of each coat in order to harden the polish. The whole process is pretty simple without any hassles and one can easily resume her work after some time. It typically involves no waiting time or fanning your fingers. Experts claim that shellac nail polish does not chip during the normal course of your day to day activities which made it popular.

Shellac is suitable for people who want to maintain natural nails. The effect of the nail polish seems unchanged within 1-14 days. Nail polish with shellac proves to be durable and flexible and prevents damage of nail beds. Use of shellac nail polish is discouraged for people who are planning to lengthen their nails. Also if your nails have splitting edges or if they are peeling then you should avoid such nail polish. The best part about shellac nail polish in terms of usage is its ability to dry quickly unlike traditional polishes which usually take about 2-3 hours. This implies a great saving of your time.

Reviews

So what do you think? Have you done this process? Has it lived up to its claims? I plan to do this in the next 5 days and will show pictures of what it looks like. Till then here are some pictures of satisfied customers





Talk to you ladies soon!

I have been a Kelly Rowland fan for a while and I have been dilligently routing for her since her Destiny's Child Days. I watched her style evolve from ok to nice to "O-M-G". I'm really liking this "O-M-G" Phase of her stye evolutionbecuase she just looks amazing!!! Have you seen her lately? She has ahit song out called Motivation ft Lil Wayne. Shes the new judge on X-Factor and she has been hitting almost every runway looking like she stepped out the pages of STYLE Magazine!  Check her out:

Bright Coloured Fabness

Now I know I have talked about this trend before but I really love it. Here are some more examples of at the BET awards Red Carpet

Hello Dolls!

I wanted to show you a few of my everyday nutral eye looks.

This was my look on Friday July 1st

Sorry for the blurriness

Eyelids:

Lid: MAC Hoodwinked all over the lid up to the brow with a fluffy brush (any brand will do)
Crease: MAC Sketch with a fluffy brush
Inner corner: More Hoodwinked, then Coastal Scents beige color (6th colour down) patted ontop of hoodwinked
Browbone: Swept NC45 concealor under the brow bone and blend it in with your fingers to create a nice highlight and depth
Eyebrows: Shaped eyebrows with black liner pencil. I followed the ntural arch of my brows. Then I continued using the NC45 to outline my eyebrows to bring them out.
Eyeliner: Revlon Blackest Black liner winged out
Eyelashes: Ardells Demi Lashes (Me encanta estos! I love these)

This is what it looks like in the day light

Hello Dolls!




Today is our Canada Day Long Weekend So there will be no new posts till July 4th, 2011.

Happy 4th of July long weekend to my American Friends!

Ok,

So I'm going to deviate from my usual posts on make-up and fashion to bring a shameless plug for these AMAZING cupcakes that tastes like an orgasm in your mouth. The first time I tasted them was at my friends house while we chit chatted about the nonsense that had occured in her day. I took one bite and instantly her voice faded to a background whisper. In other words, I have no idea what she was saying. The flavours in my mouth had me speechless. I have never tasted a cup cake this good in my life.

The Bakery is located in Toronto at 1034 St. Clair Ave W. Toronto, Ontario

And they have a website!! http://www.thecupcakeryto.com/home.php

If you live in Toronto, please drop in and taste the goodness wrapped up in a cupcake! I promise you, you will want to buy the whole store. Tell them I sent you :)

Enjoy!

Hello Dolls!!

I have a pigment swatch for you today! To contiue on my theme of wearing bright colours against darker skin I have taken a colour swatch of some of my favorite bright pigments from MAC. I especially like these pigments because tsome look like a completely different colour on your skin then in its container. These colours are perfect for a night out on the town with your girls, going clubbing or when you just want to spice up your look with a pop of glittery shimmer. The choice is yours Dolls! Its your world! Who says you cant add a little pop of shimmer to your eye shadow for a little after work dinner, or cocktail party. Be bold! Be daring! Enjoy :)

The colours I will be showing were bought from a MAC invite only event and I went a little bit craxy with my pigments. I bought the brightest colours I could get my hands on while they disappeared in other girls baskets! That being said not all of them have cute names to them. Instead they say what they do which is reflecting different colours. 

From left to right:

Rose (purchased at a MAC Store), Golden Lemon (purchased at a MAC store), Reflects Red (purchased at the invite only sale), Reflects Bronze (also purchased at the event), Reflects Antique Gold (also purchased at the event).

Hello Dolls!!

I'd like to bring you a review on The Beyond Cleavage Bra by La Senza and  the Hello Sugar by La Senza.

I live in Canada and recently, I went on a trip to Montreal and stopped into their La Senza for a little bra shopping. Well I ended up purchasing a few bra's and matching panties from their Beyond Cleavage by La Senza Collection and a bra from the Hello Sugar by La Senza collection. I've worn them both to work and to after work social activities and I gotta tell ya I am in love (and so were the men whose eyes were on my blouse!). I was pleasantly surprised at how awesome these bra's are so I'm here to rave about them to you all and let you know how great I think they are.

Beyond Cleavage by la Senza

My Review:

This is the description on the site and I found in my experience that this was the case for me. I wear a 34B and it pushes my girls up and brings them together to  rounded perfection. It definitely gives you cleavage and makes your breasts look really good underneath your blouses. A good bra underneath your blouse can take you from not looking your best to improving your posture and making your breasts look their round, perky and symmetrical under your blouses, and dresses. AKA they stand up a little higher and have an improved shape. I recommend a good bra fitting session so you can assess what bra is good for your figure and cup size. The good thing about these sessions is it what will help you find a bra that will help you achieve your best look while your wearing your best.

Hello Sugar by La Senza




Double Push Up Lace Bra(214001-151)

Calling all knockouts! La Senza's first ever Double Push-Up Bra, a totally intense, high level push-up that instantly takes you up two cups! Lightweight foam padding gives you the extreme cleavage you crave in a bra that doubles your cup size! All over lace cups with underwire support. Deep plunge with ring detail at center gore. Twinned adjustable straps can be worn classic, crossed or halter. 84% polyamide / 16% elastane. Imported.

Unit Price $39.50

My Review:

Umm....let me tell you. I need a break for a second before I continue because this bra will bring tears to a grown man's eyes when he sees you in THIS piece! Ladies, this bra brings the Voom in va-va-voom and tops it off with a little extra Ummpf! I wore this one out one night and it doubled my cleavage and sent my girls right under my chin! lol For a night out at the club it definitely said, "buy me a drink and if you really like em consider leaving your credit card and pin beside the drink too". lol. I don't think I need to say more about what it does. This is definitely the type of bra you wear to push them up, together and bring em out. LOL. I love this bra. She is my best kept weapon in my arsenal!

Hope this review was helpful ladies and let me know if you have these bra's or what your favorite La Senza bra's are. Have a great day :)

Hello Dolls!

Whats under your make-up??

Hello dolls, I'm coming at you with a quick review on face primers!

I have oily skin and I think I have tried almost everything under the sun!

From putting milk of magnesium (this has worked for some but for me I looked like I was trying out for a mime play but decided last second to put my NC50 powder over it-not cute!) on my face, letting it dry then putting on my make up, to using Mac prep & Prime, to oilive oil (oh yes I did...), castor oil (tried this too), MAC oil control lotion, then finally MAC matte to finally Urban Decay's all night stay lotion. The only thing I have found that actually works is MAC Matte.

This is what I do in my foundation routine that has worked wonders for keeping that oil at bay!

1. Wash my face with a soup and rag to make sure all my make up and oil is removed
2. Pat my face dry and apply MAC Matte and smooth it evenly all over my face
3. Apply MAC concealor in NC50 and use either a buffer brush (99% of the time) or my fingers and smooth it all over my face with even circular motions.
4. Use my MAC 90 brush and apply MAC Mineralizer in Deep all over my face in a circular motion
5. Then set it all with MAC Finisher powerd (white poweder that dries clear and matt)

Et Voila! My face stays Matte for 60 % of the day, I do a quick brush over with my 90 brush either dry or with some MAC Mineralize then I'm good till home time at 5 pm.

This has been theonly thing that has helped keep my face Matte. I have tried everything else with this same routine and by 9 am I am shineier then a new penny! Not cute! Its my rule of thuumb to always look my best aka amazing at the oe office because I am my own brand! If you want to learn more about branding and how you can use it to your advantage check out my blog called Power of Femininity. The link is in my profile :)

The day MAC discontinues this product I will fall crying on my knees in frontof my make up table! LOL

Hope this helped you oily ladies out there!

Ciao bellas :)

Good day ladies.

I'm coming to you with a review on quick weaves, specifically quick weave systems with Remy Hair

Recently, my local beauty supply store (BSS) had a series of sales on Remy hair that I quickly took advantage of and over a period of about 2 month (I guess they had a overstock and needed the room), I amassed quite a collection of hair ranging from 10 inches to 14. I was quite pleased with myself and decided to make a quick weave system like the one xxislandbeautyxx made on youtube over a series of 4 tutorial videos which she later took down (she is now selling the systems). Well, I watched those videos like it was an exam and made my own out of cheap BSS synthetic hybrid human hair that looked so good that I had requests to make some of other people.

Materials used:

3 packs of the cheapie hair (human/synthetic mix)

Weaving needle and thread

A wig cap (specifically for making wigs you can get it at the BSS for about $4.99)

A white eyeliner pencil

Foam wig head

Patience…lots of it

Method to the Madness:

Place the wig cap on the foam head with the side tabs at the ear of the mannequin. Make sure its centered. Draw a line for your part on the wig cap with the white pencil

I turned the wig cap inside out and sewed hair along the inside perimeter of the cap then flipped it right side out and started sewing the hair on the cap from the bottom to the top as if you are installing a normal weave.

Since I already mapped out where my part will be I weave up to the horseshoe u-shaped part I made as if I was weaving on a real person, the u-shape being the leave out hair.

Once I'm done sewing the weave on, I cut the u-shape part of the cap off leaving the weave cap system free.

Then I corn row my hair down. The pattern I used was a corn rowed an anchoring braid up the side of my head, around my leave out then down the other side and down to the back. Everything else (except the leave out) is corn rowed straight back.

Then I sew down the weave system around the leave out (which is why we sewn the hair on the cap up to the u-shape part line) then down the sides of the cap.

The result? A natural looking weave that can be taken off, wash your hair then sew back on without the hours of sitting at a salon. Its that simple, elegant and stylish

Janet Collection Indian Remy Prestige Hair

I'm reviewing the Janet Collection Prestige Remy hair which is what I used in my 2^nd quick weave system.

Pros:

Hair is soft, tangle free and thick. This is my 3^rd time using the hair and it looks just as good as the first time I took it out the pck. It doesn't tangle and form a nest at the back of my head, flat irons nicely and blends in with MY hair.

Now, I'm natural but my hair texture when curly is course, but straightened matches the remy hair perfectly. I don't know why but this is how my hair is. When straightened it mimics silky remy hair.

Cons:

Might not blend with all course hair types, very thick and doesn't hold a curl for very long. Requires curling iron, curlers and possibly a overnight set in order to have curls the nest day but they will fall by the end of the day to very loose waves/curls.

To see a few tutorials on how to make this weave system check these links out (she did it exactly how I did). Sorry I didn't take pictures while I made it because I didn't know how it would turn out (aka, a big uh oh!).

If you have any questions leave a comment below J

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPkeRrUsV38

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g7_8AVe_nE

Thanks ladies J

 

 

Hi Dolls!!

I am back with a blog post to review Moroccan Oil.

I'm sure you have probably heard about Moroccan oil and all the benefits of this product. So I'll just chime in my 3 cents and call it a day lol.

I bought the shampoo, conditioner and hair mask and I have to say, my hair loves it!!!

It goes without saying that if you are going to use a particular brand of hair products that the only way you can gage a true review of the product is by using the products from that line and not intermingling it with another brand. One of the biggest mistakes a lot of reviewers make is they don't stick to al the products in the line and think they can mix and match products targeting them to individual uses such as, one product for a hair mask, another as a moisturizing shampoo and another as a really great leave in. Problem with that is these different products from each line are not formulated to work in unison with each other. So it may work in the short term but in the long term the benefits you once saw can turn into hair breakage, dryness or worse baldness. It benefits you to stick to one brand and give it a fair chance. Use it for at least a month (2 if after 1 month it was ok) and then decide if you want to chuck it or keep it. K, I'm off my soap box now LOL

 

Back to the product review

Moroccan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner

The Shampoo is gentle on my hair and doesn't strip it of moisture. When I rinse it out my hair feels soft.

The conditioner leaves my hair soft and conditioned. I like to leave the conditioner on for a moment while I'm in the shower so it can have a moment to penetrate deep down before I rinse it out.

 

Moroccan Oil Intense Hydrating Mask

 

I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!! Can I say more? I slip it through my hair, cover it with a shower cap and leave it on for about 15 to 30 mins or I go under the dryer for 15 mins and let it penetrate. Either way, this stuff is the BOMB!!! O-M-G! lol I've run out and already I am panicking. I cant wait to get my hands on more.

Um, hello!! This stuff right here is worth its weight in gold. I dab a small amount the size of a dime into my palms, rub them together and run it through my hair. My hair dries quicker and blow dries straighter. It's so good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My hair is left bouncy, soft and smelling oh so good and if you are a subscriber to my blog, The Power of Femininity then stay tuned for an upcoming post on scent and how it's a powerful weapon in your arsenal of Femininity. Add this oil as a staple to your hair regimen.

 

So there you have it. I haven't used anything else in my hair in months. I love this stuff! Have you tried it? Post a comment and tell me what you think about it!

Hi Dolls!!



I'm back with a great review. Sorry for it being so long but I wanted to make sure I gave this product enough time to give it a fair review.



Ardys Am PM Pills





I tried these pills after meeting with a friend whose an Ardyss representative. She taved about them and how she lost 5 lbs without taking them consistently. A lady with her tookthem faithfully and lost a significant amount of weight so I decided to buy it.




You take 1-2 AM pills per day and 1-2 PM pills 30 minutes before a meal. I took them for 2 months and watched myself lose 7 lbs and finaly break my plateau. I'm tall (5'8.5) so my weight is distributed evenly along my length. At times I felt discouraged because I wanted it to target my thighs and hips but it didnt do that. It took those 7lbs off my entire frame and the result was a thin, scuplted physique. I didnt start noticing it til my pants were so loose that I was in danger of indecent exposure if I didnt leave the house wearing a belt. My tops fit looser,my arms were smaller and my face looked thinner.

Now to get a accurate picture of what I look like, like I said I am tall, and slim with a black girls ass and hips. No one would call me fat by any stretch of the means but like I mentioned I have the typical wider hips and a booty of any average black girl. Now I didnt want to loose the booty (I'll talk about how I kept it in a few mins) I just wanted to minimize my thighs and flatten my tummy out a little bit.

I aso want to mention that I exercised. I did 30 mins of cardio minimum and 30 mins of target specfic exercise. These pills are designed to ramp up your metabolism and help regulate your digestive system.


Exercises


Booty exercises that work.

Before I do my excercises I do the following:


i stand with my legs crossed amost as if I was skipping double dutch and about to do the cross splits (hopefully that helps you understand what I mean). Anyway, while in this stance and squat down 5 times. ONLY DO 5! You will pay the next morning if you do more. Anyway, I then uncross my legs and whatever leg was in front I switch legs and repeat the squat on that leg for a count of 5. Thats it.

Next I start my regimen


Leg lifts- stand with your legs shoulder width apart. Stand on one leg and raise your other leg behind you for a count of 10 on each side. Do 3 sets.

Squats - I like to squat down and crab walk 10 steps to the right and 10 to the left for a total of 30 on each side.

I dont know what this is called but I've seen it done on Bridal Bootcamp and the Last 10 pounds with Tommy.

I stand in the middle of my target running area, then run to the left 5 paces then touch the ground. raise up and do it again to the left. I hope I'm explaining it properly. I do that till I total 30 on each side.

I cycle through all 3 above and repeat the cycle till I've done 3 sets.

Hopefully this helps you understand. I did these sets a minimum of 3 days a week. I saw resuts almost instantaneously. Which takes 30 minutes total.


Hope this review helps! Now, I'm working on my next product review. If my exercise regimen confuses you please leave a comment and I will walk you through what I did.